2015 Inductee: John Bride

When John Bride talks about his career, he makes it sound as if he was over his head in most of those formative musical groups he played in and which are part of the rich musical heritage of Mississauga and Toronto in the 1960s and 70s.

From the time he formed his first band, called the Odds ‘n Ends, at Clarkson’s Hillcrest Public School, John was always looking forward, to moving on to bigger and better bands.

In high school, he started Papa Grey, which rehearsed at a house just up Stavebank Rd. from here, then joined Brutus, which briefly transformed into The Ugly Ducklings when that group’s lead singer Dave Bingham joined up. Then John won an audition to play with a group of older guys in Greaseball Boogie Band. “What have I gotten myself into?” he wondered when he saw the mock fights onstage and the lead singer eating a tube of Brylcreem a night to impress Greaseball’s fans.

He may not have been ready for their burlesque antics, but he was always ready to learn, stretch and extend his musical command.

Greaseball Boogie Band became Shooter which had a hit with a song he hates called I Can Dance. Then he and Ray Harrison created the consummate blues collar band playing out of the Cameo Lounge at the Hotel Isabella. John gave the Cameo Blues Band its name and a signature sound, with his highlight reel Fender Strat style.

Whether playing with the Partland Brothers, Cheryl Lescomb, Rita Chiarelli or Amanda Marshall, co-hosting weekly jams for years at the Fox ‘n Fiddle, or becoming a Monday night musical mainstay at The Harp with Tom Barlow, John Bride has always kept maturing as a player.

As Chuck Jackson, his old friend and former partner in the Jackson-Bride Band says, “John brings a band to life. It’s just like when you hear Otis Redding or Sam Cooke sing, when you hear that guitar, you know right away, it’s John Bride.”

“He commands that stage. Any band he plays with, he takes them up another notch.” John Bride is the epitome of the local guitar legend.

He knows the whole catalogue, handles every genre, has played all the venues, from the local high school gyms to the outdoor stadiums on bills with The Beach Boys and The Moody Blues, has opened for Ray Charles at Massey Hall – twice – is on a ton of great records and, best of all for us locals, can still be heard plying his craft weekly in Port Credit bars.

He knows his instrument, teaches his instrument, fixes his instrument for lots of famous players – most of whom he prefers not to name – and lives his instrument. He got famous around town as a teen for playing a killer version of Robert Johnson’s venerable song Crossroad Blues.

With apologies to Mr. Johnson, when John Bride went down to The Crossroads and fell down on his knees, he asked the Lord for mercy and the Lord said – first – play the guitar, please.

Welcome to the Mississauga Music Walk of Fame John.